College Life

Posted on Monday, March 27, 2017

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) has collaborated with an Australian university to set up a nanobiotechnology centre for core research as well as for development of technologies, products and processes. Charu Narula reports

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) has collaborated with an Australian university to set up a nanobiotechnology centre for core research as well as for development of technologies, products and processes. The TERI-Deakin Nanobiotechnology Centre (TDNBC) plans to have 50 PhD students and as many researchers on board by 2018. The PhD degree would be awarded by the Australian partner.

Located in Gwal Pahari in Gurugram, the centre is already carrying out research with potential applications in the food sector. One of its current projects is about the replacement of chemical colours with natural colours, with features similar to the former, to be used in food and drinks. The team is researching natural colours with similar high-temperature, stable-functioning and low pH characteristics as in chemical colours suited for ice creams, cakes and soft drinks. “We have been receiving requests from industry to develop fluorescent natural colours which would glow in the dark,” added Alok Adholeya, its director.

Students as well as researchers from TERI and Deakin University will work together. The TDNBC seeks to work with the government, including the Union Department of Biotechnology, to achieve sustainability in agricultural practices, develop safe nano-delivery systems and cheap diagnostics for agriculture and human health, address environment-related problems and devise solutions for cleaner and greener energy.

The multidisciplinary research is an amalgamation of physics, chemistry and bioprocess engineering. “The centre’s key aim is to blend expertise in material sciences with medical and other fields of science,” Adholeya said during a media interaction recently.

On the need to bridge the gap between what industry has and what it needs to deliver, Ravneet Pawha, associate vice president (global), Deakin University, said, “The move has been made to bring together Deakin University’s expertise in the design and characterisation of novel nanomaterials and TERI’s experience in biotech applications in food, agriculture, environment and pharmacology.”